The only graduation photo I could find. Here I am with my friend Kate back in 2006.

Now that I’m 26 and have graduated from what a group of my fabulous friends has dubbed “real life college” (those four years after you get your B.A.), I realized it might be time to start thinking about what I want to be when I grow up. Of course I’ve thought about this before–I’m a type-A planner who loves lists and calendars, after all–but these days I find I’m approaching it with a new perspective.

When I decided to come to Korea, I hoped that it would help me clarify what I wanted to do in terms of a career. Over the last few years, I’d considered being a curator, a college professor, an acupuncturist, a high school teacher, a health counselor, and a yoga instructor, to name a few. Fortunately, my work here in Seoul has helped me realize two very important things:

1. I love working with bright teenagers and words. I love helping my students figure out what they want to say, and the most effective way to say it. Watching them empower themselves in this way is incredibly exciting, and I often get to talk about brilliant works of literature while I do it. In a word: awesome. This confirmed my decision to pursue a career as a private high school English teacher, and this is why I’m hoping to earn my masters in English Literature.

2. That’s not enough for me. I’m sure it’s glaringly obvious to any regular reader of this blog that health excites me just as much as words do. The past five years have been an incredibly journey to health and vitality, and I get tremendous satisfaction from sharing my experiences with others. A career that nurtures this aspect of my personality just makes sense, and I can’t imagine closing this door. But I also can’t figure out what this holistic health option would look like.

The answer, of course, is in the research. I’ve read books (like the brilliant Martha Beck’s Finding Your Own North Star) and websites (like Get There from Here and the When I Grow Up Coach) and had long talks with insightful friends. Now it’s time to amp that up and get information more specific to the field.

Which brings me to a new series I’ll be posting here. I’ve reached out to women (because I really do want a woman’s perspective) I admire who work in holistic health to get answers to some of my questions. And as I’m sure I’m not the only one curious about such matters, I’ve decided (with their consent) to post their responses here on the blog in the hopes that it helps others. And please, no one get excited about the “working mother” question; I’ve got a good five years or so before that needs to be come a consideration, but it’s something I want to plan for.

My hope is that I can find a career that satisfies me intellectually, emotionally, and financially. (As for finances, my goals are significant, but modest. It’s important to me that I be able to afford health insurance, quality education for my [future] children, braces for said unborn kids if they need it (but neither Michael nor I ever had braces, so fingers crossed!), a home with a small plot of land, and enough wiggle room to take an annual family vacation.)

Ali's Book: The Roots of Going Green

Tomorrow I’ll feature the wonderful and inspiring (which, honestly, could describe all the women who are contributing) Ali Shapiro, a Philadelphia-based Holistic Health Counselor. Be sure to check back, because I’m sure you’ll want to catch what she has to say.